I too am going forward with this. The man I was working with at the VA office here has recently retired & the new women taking over is starting mid October. I will then pursue this with her.  I think if others follow our lead we can do some good. If not for ourselves, we can hopefully make a difference for others. Please keep me updated as to how you are doing & I will do the same.

Darla

Joyce C

Thank you for your post.

Yes, you are right. It is unthinkable, but does appear to be true.  Tell Joyce to keep pushing it with the VA as that is what I am going to do.  I only know of 2 or 3 cases were the goverment has admitted it was service related. They are usually saying that there is not even evidence or statistics to prove beyond a doubt that it is. If more of us keep on trying & more Vets are diagnoised or dying of this horrible disease, they will have to listen to us & agree!!!! It may be too late for our loved ones, however, maybe we can make a difference for those in the future. I think my husband Jim would want me to do this, in his memory, as would many others who have died because they were not informed early on of the possiblity & given a fair chance to fight it. I was told that this cancer is rare in the US but is very prevelent in Asian countries. It looks as if with all the Vets that are now being diagnosed it will not be that rare here in the future! We need to get this information out & keep fighting for all of our Vets & their families who have been affected, or will be in the future, by this devastating cancer.

Darla

My brother was dx with CC in 3/08.    He served in Vietnam in 1965-1966 and his job was "testing the water".    He got sick and was sent to a hospital in the Philippines.    Transferred to Letterman Hospital in CA where he stayed for 8 months.   There was never a diagnosis made.    Now, years later,  he has cholangiocarcinoma and is on Hospice.     4 - 5 weeks left is what they think.     His wife, Joyce, is investigating with  local VA Office about a possible connection between his CC and Vietnam.      She has heard that many veterans from Vietnam got CC later in life.   IF the VA knew this and did not warn our vets that is just unthinkable to me.

My husband Jim was in Viet Nam in 1965-1966.  My understanding about the liver flukes is that there are parasites in the water in the Asian countries that get into the bile ducts if you swam in the water, drank the water or even ate food that had been washed in the water. They then silently chew on the insides of the bile ducts creating abnormal cells.  These cells can then develop into CC usually not until 30-40 years later. This is why many of the men who have it are in their 60's & 70's. They are usually otherwise healthy with no symptoms. By the time symptoms present it is usually so far advance that most treatments are not possible. My husband was fine until the middle of July & he passed away on 9-2-08 at the age of 62 only 1 week after it was definitively diagnoised. By this time he had lost so much weight & was so weak that he wasn't able to eat or drink.  I will always wonder if this information had been out there & he had been periodically checked for this through the years, things may have been different. My understanding is that the VA for the most part is saying there is no real proof of this, but I have found one or two cases where they have admitted to it being service related.  My husband had so many tests that showed nothing, however, it was after a liver biopsy & PET Scan that it was finally found. I do plan to do some more checking on this. Sadly, for Jim & I it is too late, but maybe knowing more about all of this can help others in the future. I hope this information is helpful to you.

Darla

C - Cancer
H - Hell
O - Oppressive
L - Loathsome
A - Anxious
N - Nervous
G - Greedy
I - Impossible
O - Obnoxious
C - Chemo
A - Awful
R - Recurrent
C - Crapshoot
I - Insidious
N - Nightmare
O - Ominous
M - Mind boggling
A - Afraid

Carol (Please don't kick me out for being so negative.  It's just one of those days)  Best wishes to everybody.

My brother's reaction to hearing dad's diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma: "What the hell is a bile-duct?  Do we need it?"

cholangiocarcinoma, CHOLANGIOcarcinoma, CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA!
the rhythm of the word when trying to explain to the healthcare workers, doctors, EMTs, insurance companies, department of defense, family members
who can't quite grasp the word...but, then again, who can?

My suggestion for Jeff....
by all means, do it all:  go play ball, walk the mall,
stop at a casino and let the chips fall.
cholangiocarcinoma is a crap-shoot, after all.

(ok...I've not had my coffee yet, but I smell it brewing).

Lainy:  I'm excited to hear about Teddy's ball playing days.  My dad was scouted by the P. Pirates but he, too, went to Korea.  He did play on the military leagues in Europe and stateside.  I've been to most of dad's games both here and overseas.  The time frame and the story seems so similar, wouldn't it be a small world if my dad and your Teddy played together at some time? 
Jolene

Then again, I think I'll take it easy
and just walk around the mall!

Then again I might spend some money
and guess who would not like that?  Yes my Honey!

Then again,  If I want to spend money at the mall
I'm a big boy, so let the chips fall

Then again, if I spend to much she might ball
So, I guess I'll go out and do as I thought, and play ball instead of a walk in the mall.

Heck, I'll do all and pass the tissues, when she balls.
Hee! Hee! Ha! Ha! I'm as crazy as them all!

Proud Of It!  Man I haven't drank coffee in over a year , I think I'll have another, then I won't worry at all!

Have a nice day!

Jeff

HE was a mountaineer and motorbike rider.